19/11/2012

Official opening of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 at UNESCO in January. 2009 with Jean-Michel Jarre as Master of Ceremony

15 January 2009, Paris

Astronomers from around the world have gathered in Paris for the start
of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009), the largest
network ever for sharing the wonders of the Universe with the public.

The official Opening Ceremony for the International Year of Astronomy
2009 (IYA2009) began today.
It is taking place at the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Headquarters,
and features not only government representatives, diplomats, scientists
from around the globe, young astronomy undergraduate students from more
than 100 countries, but also astronauts, industrialists, diplomats,
artists etc.
They are all in attendance to mark the first 400 years of
modern astronomy, an era that started with Galileo's observations of the
heavens with the telescope in 1609.

"After years of preparation, the time has come to launch this
year, during which the citizens of the world will rediscover their place
in the Universe, and hear of the wondrous discoveries in the making.
The opening ceremony, at UNESCO Headquarters, is representative of the
of the commitment of 136 countries to partake in the celebration of
astronomy"
says Catherine Cesarsky, President of the International
Astronomical Union, who introduced the vision and goals of IYA2009 at
the event.

The two-day ceremony hosts a wide range of activities including
presentations by Nobel Prize winners Bob Wilson and Baruch Blumberg,
talks about the latest astronomical discoveries, discussions on the role
of astronomy in culture and public engagement, real-time astronomical
observations and a closing performance by the Grammy award winners, the
Kronos Quartet.

The Opening Ceremony launches the start of a year which will put
astronomy firmly into the public eye, with the theme "The Universe,
Yours to Discover". Hundreds, if not thousands, of events on global,
national and regional levels started up in the first weeks of the Year
to celebrate astronomy and its contributions to culture and society,
highlighting its importance as a globally uniting endeavour, attempting
to answer some of life's fundamental questions.

The proceedings were opened by Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, who said,

"People
have always looked to the sky for answers to the questions ‘How did we
get here?' and ‘Why are we here?' The sky belongs to everybody.
Astronomy is an instrument to promote peace and understanding among
nations and as such is at the heart of UNESCO's mission."

Matsuura added "We will encourage citizens of the world,
especially young people, to learn more about the Universe in which we
live and to explore the links that astronomy provides between the
scientific and cultural spheres."

The official Opening Ceremony will take place over two days, with almost
1000 people in attendance. Events are accessible to all via a live
webcast, currently broadcasting from www.astronomy2009.org/webcast, and a
live blog available from www.cosmicdiary.org/lee_pullen

Jean-Michel Jarre, master of ceremony, is seen with the distinguished
panel of speakers at the International Year of Astronomy 2009 opening,
UNESCO Headquarters, Paris

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Jean Michel Jarre first came to international fame with his number one hit album, « OXYGENE » which went on to sell over 18 million copies worldwide.

A pioneer in his field, Jarre has largely contributed to the fastest growing musical revolution of the 20th century, electronic music : conceiving music in terms of sounds rather than only in terms of notes, and thus allowing the composer to become his own craftsman.

Having followed formal studies of harmony and counterpoint at the Conservatoire de Paris, he was inspired to reinvent music at its core, with his own singular vision, deploying the technology and tools of his epoch.

This pioneering approach gave birth to worldwide hit albums such as "OXYGENE","EQUINOXE", MAGNETIC FIELDS", "ZOOLOOK", "RENDEZVOUS", "WAITING FOR COUSTEAU"...over 80 million albums sold to date.

Following through with his revolution in music, he also conceived a brand-new genre and format of concerts; breaking away from the traditional theatre and arena context, Jarre brought his music and vision outdoors to the masses. Often free and open-to-all, these stateof- the-art concert-spectaculars showcase the natural or urban environment in which they are performed -- a truly singular sonic and visual "land-art" event, conceived and performed on a unique scale for a one-off experience.

Jarre's legendary concerts have attracted Guinness Record-breaking audiences across the planet. They take place in exceptional settings, marking extra-ordinary contexts: first western musician invited to perform in post-Mao Red China, Millennium at the Great Pyramids of Egypt, Houston City concert in collaboration with NASA in memory of the Challenger space crew, Concert for His Holiness Pope John Paul II, France's Eiffel Tower in celebration of World Cup victory, Gdansk's shipyard at the initiative of Nobel Peace Laureate Lech Walesa, London's Docklands, Beijing's Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, the Sahara Desert...to the absolute record live audience of 3.5 million in Moscow.

Most recently, Jean Michel Jarre embarked on his first ever world tour which has already taken him to over 30 countries with over 220 performances.

July 2011, HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco called upon Jean Michel Jarre to celebrate his Royal Wedding by creating and performing a concert-event in the Principality which was largely broadcast on television & Internet worldwide to an estimated audience of 3 billion.

The French musician has a dedicated ongoing engagement to the United Nations via UNESCO, as Ambassador and spokesperson for Environment and Education.